Associate Director - Delay

An outstanding Associate Director opportunity in Dubai with a prestigious expert witness consultancy specialising in delay analysis and dispute resolution.

You will lead and oversee delay workstreams on major international arbitrations and litigations, support expert report delivery, and help develop team capability and client relationships across high-profile matters.

Project Details

Due to the reputation of key individuals within this business, the employer provides independent expert witness services on some of the world’s largest and most high-profile construction disputes.

This includes adjudications and major international arbitrations, often connected to landmark infrastructure and mega-projects across the Middle East (including aviation, transport and major real estate developments).

Responsibilities and Duties

In this Associate Director - Delay Analysis role, you will take a management position within the delay team, managing complex delay analysis workstreams and supporting the delivery of expert services on one or more major disputes (typically arbitration and/or litigation).

You will be expected to provide technical direction, ensure quality of outputs, and guide junior staff, while working closely with recognised delay experts. 

Responsibilities are likely to include:

• Leading forensic planning and delay analysis on major disputes from instruction through to report delivery
• Overseeing detailed review of project records, correspondence and programmes to identify delay drivers and critical issues
• Directing and reviewing robust delay analyses and methodologies, ensuring they are suitable for formal dispute forums
• Managing the drafting, review and finalisation of significant sections of expert reports and supporting appendices
• Supporting (and where appropriate leading) meetings with solicitors, counsel and project stakeholders to shape lines of enquiry
• Providing technical mentoring, coaching and quality assurance for analysts/consultants within the team
• Contributing to internal process improvement, knowledge sharing and development of best practice
• Supporting business development activity, including proposal input and strengthening long-term client relationships (as required)

Desired Skills and Experience

This role suits an experienced delay professional ready to step into a leadership position within an expert witness / disputes environment in Dubai and the wider Middle East.

The ideal candidate will have:

• Typically 8+ years’ experience with an engineering / project controls / planning background.
• Experience working with a comparable disputes/ expert witness consultancy.
•  Strong working knowledge of delay analysis in the context of construction disputes (arbitration/litigation experience highly advantageous)
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with proven experience producing and/or reviewing formal report content
•  A highly analytical approach and confidence scrutinising complex records, programmes and delay narratives
•  Leadership capability, including reviewing others’ analysis, guiding juniors and ensuring consistently high-quality deliverables
• Middle East experience beneficial but not essential; arbitration experience is required though.

Qualifications/Educational Requirements

• Essential: Relevant construction / engineering degree (or equivalent)
• Desirable: Further study or professional memberships (e.g. MSc or LLM in Construction Law), though not essential (and may be supported in the future)

Employing Company Overview and Profile

Maxim Recruitment is working with a market-leading construction consultancy that specialises in independent expert witness and dispute advisory services on major international matters.

The Dubai team supports globally recognised experts and is involved in complex, high-value disputes across multiple sectors including real estate, energy, offshore, oil and gas, transportation, IT and defence.

The consultancy is known for rigorous analysis, strong professional standards and producing expert reports suitable for arbitration and litigation, offering a strong platform for senior professionals to lead and develop within a high-calibre disputes environment.

A full client overview will be given to shortlisted candidates.

Additional Benefits Package and Incentives

• Industry-leading bonus scheme
• Further education sponsorship
• Hybrid working (home/office)